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JAIN DIGEST.. May 2011
Abstract of the Paper
Jaina Monks From Mathura: Literary Evidence For Their Identification On Kusana Sculptures
Seated Jaina Ertharikara, headless. Mathura, red sandstone, 3rd century A.D. (Courtesy of American Institute of Indian Studies, Varanasi.)
Among the thousands of Jaina images found throughout India, those from Mathura produced during the Kusana period are unique, for they alone contain representations of unclothed Jaina ascetics holding a single small piece of cloth in such a way as to cover their nudity. These curious figures cannot be identified with monks of the present-day Jaina sects of the Digambers, who practice total nudity, or of the Shwetamber, who wear two long pieces of unstitched white cloth wrapped around their bodies and occasionally a white blanket over their left shoulders.
Iain Education International
By Padmanabh S. Jaini, University of California at Berkeley
Cool following Mahavir's example where he kept a cloth during his initial period of renunciation. Other texts would indicate that certain monks started this practice at the time of the terrible 12-year drought that eventually lead to the Shwetamber tradition. The style of research and investigation performed by Prof Jaini is fairly well demonstrated in this paper. Using literary evidences form various Digamber, Shwetamber, Buddhist, and other texts, Jaini has tried to trace the history and practices of Jain monks and tried to correlate the relationship between the Kusana sculptures and clothing of Jain monks as described in scriptures and text of different traditions.
These figures are referred by some scholars as Ardhaphdlakas (monks with partial covering) and some speculate that these figures might be those Yāpaniya monks, another Jain sect that is now extinct. Certain text would indicate that they were the forerunners of the current Shwetamber order
Seated Jaina Ertharikara, headless. Mathura, red sandstone, 3rd century A.D. (Courtesy of American Institute of Indian Studies, Varanasi.)
Relief fragment showing a Kinnara and a Jaina monk. Mathura (Kurikali FIG), red sandstone, 1st century B.C. (Courtesy of American Institute of Indian Studies, Varanasi.)
This paper demonstrates Jaini's in-depth knowledge in Digamber, Shwetamber and Buddhist literature and Practices. The paper shows the systematic, rigorous and unbiased approach followed by Jaini to analyze the problem. We hope this will inspire you to read the entire paper. Please send us an email to
jaindigest.info@gmail.com with your request and we will send you a PDF copy of the entire paper.
